Personal computers are now widespread throughout the business community and many are able to intercommunicate, either through fixed connections e.g. local area networks, or through dynamically established links e.g. ISDN or async lines over the public switched telephone network. Increasingly, these connected personal computers can be used to enhance collaborative working between remote individuals; a typical example being the use of desk top conferencing software. Successful collaborative work generally requires more than a simple data link between the participants; voice capabilities are normally essential and video links are frequently required. Thus remote collaborative working can often be regarded as an extension to the traditional telephone call--it being enhanced with the data and programs available at the desktop via the personal computer--and, on occasions, enriched with video services.
A broad spectrum of collaborative applications can be envisaged, ranging from utilities taking advantage of the data and applications on a workstation, e.g. sharing of screen windows and files, through to new collaborative applications designed to meet the needs of specific classes of remote user e.g. just-in-time education, remote presentations, executive broadcasts or help desk. The common requirements behind these examples are:
the support of a wide variety of personal computer platforms--both hardware and software. PA1 operation over the existing communication networks. PA1 group communications and multi-media data services.
The behavior of a desk top conferencing system, particularly the way in which the system reacts to incoming calls, is usually determined by the suppliers of the system software. The conventional view of real-time desk top conferencing makes a distinction between the system functions, such as setting up and tearing down calls, and application functions, such as sending and receiving data. Conventionally, collaborative working software handles telephone calls in a different manner to that in which applications are handled. The distinctive approaches to telephones and applications in a collaborative working environment makes it difficult to fully integrate telephones into such an environment.
Accordingly, the present invention provides a method of processing an outgoing call from a computer to a conventional telephone over a telephone network, the computer including collaborative support software and means for interfacing to the telephone network, the method comprising the steps of the collaborative support software receiving from an application executing on the computer a request to establish a telephone call to the conventional telephone, establishing, in response to the request, a telephone call from the interface means to the conventional telephone over the telephone network, detecting that no detection identification message has been recieved from the conventional telephone within a predetermined period of time, and sending a message to the application simulating a connection message from the conventional telephone.
Therefore, the present invention fully integrates telephones into the collaborative environment. Further, the distinctive manner in which applications and telephones are handled is obviated. Applications can be written which utilise telephony features without being concerned about the implementation of the underlying telephony functions. Still further, a uniform interface between the applications and the collaborative support software is provided.
Preferably, the invention further provides a method of processing an incoming call from conventional telephone to a computer over a telephone network, the computer including collaborative support software and means for interfacing to the telephone network, the method comprising the steps of the collaborative support software recieving from the telephone network a request to establish a telephone call to the computer, establishing, in response to the request, a telephone call from the interface means to the conventional telephone over the telephone network, detecting that no identification message has been received from the conventional telephone within a predetermined period of time, and sending a message to the application simulating a connection message from the conventional telephone.
The invention will now be described by way of example only with reference to FIGS. 1-24 of the accompanying drawings.